Good luck, Steve Hauschka
Three strikes and you're out -- that's baseball. But it's life in the NFL, too, especially for a place-kicker on a contending team. And Steve Hauschka's three missed field goals -- he gagged on a 36-yarder last night against the Cleveland Browns and also had a PAT-attempt blocked --finally cost him his job. The Ravens waived him this afternoon.
Too bad it didn't work out for Hauschka in Baltimore. He's a good kid and a stand-up guy who never tried to alibi for his misses.
In training camp, he was bombarded with questions on a daily basis about what it was like to replace Mr. Automatic, Matt Stover. And Hauchka said all the right things. He praised Stover over and over, talked about how much he'd learned at the foot of the Kick-Master last season when they were teammates, talked about how grateful he was that the Ravens were confident enough in him to make him their kicker.
Now he's gone. After just nine games.
It shows you how demanding the job of an NFL kicker is. And how pressurized it is, too.
Three strikes -- three misses -- and you're out.
I hope Steve Hauschka catches on with another NFL team. But if he doesn't, it also shows you how fleeting an NFL career can be.
Comments
Ravens average margain of loss is 5 points this season. Stability at the kicker position is a necessity.
Posted by: Tim | November 17, 2009 6:27 PM
BYE!
Posted by: Devin | November 17, 2009 6:40 PM
If you do in fact have a detailed explanantion as to how Hauschka was the immediate and only cause for the kick being blocked, please share your genisus with the populace. Otherwise, give a detailed explanation as to what exactly occurred. OOOPS, that is probably 15 years beyond your knowedge span.
Posted by: j j thomas | November 17, 2009 9:33 PM
A HAUSCHKA HAIKU
Winter is coming
Divine winds push kicks wide left
Steve can't hurt us now
Posted by: Tucker in Sec. 527 | November 17, 2009 10:13 PM
that was beautiful, tucker. thank you.
Posted by: unbelievaboh in sec. 102 | November 18, 2009 7:14 AM
Hoping Hauschka does find success in the NFL, but the Ravens need a rock-solid kicker. Too many of our games hinge on it. It would have been nice to see him develop and progress but with the Ravens we don't have that luxury. Best of luck to Hauschka....
Posted by: ruth | November 18, 2009 7:44 AM
We can only hope he goes to a team ther Ravens play. A really bad decision was to let Matt go in the first place. And the weay they did it sucked!!!!! Really sucked.
Posted by: Bud | November 18, 2009 9:52 AM
Hauschka missed an extra point how? Was he slow to the ball? Was it a low trajectory? Bad blocking up front? Oh, I get it. Like with my wife; it's my fault no matter what. Fans sure are spoiled here by Stover. It will be hard pressed to replace him this year or next.
Posted by: JD | November 18, 2009 10:11 AM
Ha....The Raven's shouldn't NEED to rely on their kicker to WIN games. Sad to see him get botted so soon.
Posted by: Josh | November 18, 2009 10:27 AM
If Norv Turner had a reliable kicker in days past he would still be coaching the Washington Redskins. A bad, unreliable kicker can cost your 2 or three games per year. So, too bad so sad on Hauschka, but he looked lost out there, and even his kickoffs were not nearly what they should have been for a young, fresh, strong-legged kicker.
Posted by: Beerman Cold Beer | November 18, 2009 1:31 PM
Yes the Ravens ended up outsmarting themselves on this one. Hope they can find someone worthy out there that the other 31 teams don't already have locked up...
Posted by: jonbo | November 19, 2009 8:05 AM